Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s vetoing of the Religious Freedom Bill caused huge controversy across the state. Both those in favor of the Bill and those arguing against it have valid reasons for their convictions. Even though the Bill has been vetoed, it is likely to be reintroduced next year. That said, it’s worth examining.

Graduate school is expensive. That said, not everyone has the luxury of being able to be a full-time student. If you’ve made the decision to go for a higher degree while continuing to work full-time, you should see if your employer offers tuition assistance or tuition reimbursement. If your company does have a tuition reimbursement plan, or if you’ve talked them into offering you one, the next step is knowing your rights.

Recently, I heard the CEO of a Fortune 100 company (who is a white male) describe an “a-ha” moment he had. His “a-ha” moment occurred when he finally realized what diversity really means. While looking over the agenda for a senior leadership meeting, he saw “team building activity” on the list and asked the group, “So, where are we playing golf?”

When UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced its plan to stop offering health insurance policies in the marketplaces (or “exchanges”) established by the Affordable Care Act (“ACA” or “Obamacare”), it renewed speculation about whether the ACA could survive. If the ACA fails, what does that mean for the 12.7 million people insured under the Act?

In Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, nine teachers who all declined to join the California Teachers Association filed suit. They claimed that the mandatory collection of an agency fee paid to unions violates their First Amendment rights, as collective bargaining is an inherently political activity. The case looked like it would be a victory for conservatives and a blow to organized labor. However, with the sudden passing of conservative maverick, Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court is now numbered at 8, deadlocked 4-4, thus preserving the status quo for unions.

The laws that govern employment in one nation have an impact on other nations, too. This is perhaps most true when it comes to China and US. In this era of globalized trade, the way that a nation creates jobs and governs employment will inevitably affect commerce. Many products that sell in the United States are made in China. Many American workers, particularly professionals, leave the United States to work in China. Though Chinese employment laws aren’t necessarily of concern to American law firms and businesses alike, these laws and regulations affect people, and they affect trade. Chinese laws’ affect on the United States is inescapable.

The Panama Papers: The fallout from this leaked document has been explosive. The Panama Papers scandal resulted from a long and painstaking investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The Papers revealed information regarding offshore companies and how they have often been created as shell companies to shield the real owners from public scrutiny. Not surprisingly, offshore tax havens were hugely featured in The Panama Papers exposure.

Progress has been made in Georgia as people suffering from certain medical conditions are now able to use medical marijuana products to alleviate their symptoms. However, since Georgia is a conservative state—the use of marijuana for medical reasons is currently the only type of marijuana use permitted. In addition, these products are often oil based and contain cannabidiol, but are designed to contain very low amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (this chemical provides the sensation that smokers of cannabis achieve when they smoke the drug).

April 12, 2016 was Equal Pay Day. In 2015, Equal Pay Day was on April 14th. In 2013, it was on April 9th. Why? The date moves not with the day of the week or the calendar, but based on what the gender pay gap is for the previous year. In 2015, a woman would have had to continue working until April 12, 2016 to make the same salary a man did in the year 2015.

Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi have all made the news recently because of legislation that allows discrimination towards LGBT people. However, so far each state’s legislation has resulted in very different outcomes. North Carolina continues to face significant pressure from businesses, artists, and public figures regarding the HB2 “bathroom” bill. This bill requires transgender people to use the gender that was assigned to them at birth when determining where to use the restroom. HB2 prohibits local governments from passing LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances.

For more than 30 years, the lawyers at Parks, Chesin & Walbert have been committed to representing clients in a wide array of litigation matters, including constitutional disputes, employment discrimination, civil rights, class actions, government contracting, and catastrophic injury cases.